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REVIEW article
Front. Microbiol.
Sec. Antimicrobials, Resistance and Chemotherapy
Volume 16 - 2025 |
doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2025.1529157
This article is part of the Research Topic Horizontal Transfer of Antibiotic Resistance Genes in the Environment: Dynamic, Contributing Factors, and Control View all 7 articles
Mobile genetic elements encoding antibiotic resistance genes and virulence genes in Klebsiella pneumoniae: important pathways for the acquisition of virulence and resistance
Provisionally accepted- The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
Klebsiella pneumoniae is an opportunistic pathogen primarily associated with nosocomial infections, characterized by a propensity for multi-drug resistance and the potential evolution into hypervirulent strains. Based on its phenotypic and genotypic characteristics, K. pneumoniae can be classified into two types: classical K. pneumoniae (cKP) and hypervirulent K. pneumoniae (hvKP). The spread of mobile genetic elements (MGEs) in K. pneumoniae has led to the emergence of carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae (CRKP) and carbapenem-resistant hypervirulent K. pneumoniae (CR-hvKP). The emergence of CR-hvKP is particularly concerning due to its multidrug resistance, high pathogenicity, and increased transmissibility. This review summarizes the types of MGEs present in K. pneumoniae, the mechanisms of horizontal gene transfer (HGT) mediated by these mobile elements, their roles in the dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and virulence genes, and the relationships among MGEs that resemble Russian dolls or exhibit hybrid characteristics. Additionally, the clinical treatment and epidemiological characteristics of CR-hvKP are discussed. Given the high variability and transmissibility of MGEs, continuous monitoring and control of the variation and transmission of such genetic material in K. pneumoniae should be prioritized.
Keywords: mobile genetic elements, antibiotic resistance genes, virulence genes, extracellular vesicles, K. pneumoniae
Received: 16 Nov 2024; Accepted: 06 Feb 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Zeng, Han, Feng, Ye, Wei and Liu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Zhangrui Zeng, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
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